Fluid turbine



Dec. 9, 1924- A. RIVANO FLUID TURBINE original Filed April 9, 1920 2 sheets-sheei l Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,274

A. RIVANO FLUY TRBINE Original Filed April 9, 1920 2 SlfleetsfsheefI 2 Patented Der. 9, i924.

UNl'l STATES PATENT oFFicE.

ARSTJDES RVANO, 0F SANTIAGO, CHILE.

FLUID TURBINE.

Application led April 9, 1920, Serial No. 372,523. Renewed May 2, 1924.

To @ZZ-whom z5 may concern:

Be it known that l, Anisrmns RrvANo, a citizen of Chili, and resident of Santiago, Chili, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

rThe object of my invention is to automatically control the speed of fluid or hydraulic turbines by means of iiuid or hydrostatic pressure controlledby the operation of the turbine.

ln the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying` drawings, I provide a gate or gate-valve movable with f relation to the rotary fluid driven wheel of the turbine to control the flow of fluid thereto, with means to cause pressure of said fluid with relation to said gate to control the position of the latter for admission of fluid to said wheel.

My invention further comprises novel details of improvement and combination of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof wherein,

Figure l is a central section of an hydraulic turbine embodying my invention; i

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section;

Fig. 4L is a cross section on the line 4L, 4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The main shaft n of the turbine is suitably journalled in the casing H, and upon said shaft is secured a rotary fluid or water wheel P having blades ya to receive water from the casing for rotating the wheel, water entering the casing at j and flowing therefrom to outlet 7'2, which Darts may be of any suitable or usual construction. The vanes or blades t direct water against blades p of the wheel. On the side of the wheel P opposite the outlet from the casing is a chamber Zt, and at g is a gate or gatevalve shown in annular box-like form with one side open, adapted to move within the chamber 7i. rlhe annular' wall g of gate g encircles wheel P and is movable between the blades of the latter and the passageway to said wheel between the vanes z-, the radial or end wall g2 of said valve being within chamber it. Said gate may be connected with wheel F in any suitable manner to rotate with said wheel and to' move laterally relatively thereto, for which purpose l have shown a sleeve orl bushing g3 secured upon shaft n by screw g4, uponwhich sleeve the gate g is slidable along said shaft, said sleeve having a key i slidably receiving a groove in the hub g5 of the gate. An outlet conduit is connected to chamber Zt and controlled bv valve b2, which may discharge to any waste place. At f is a housing or chamber shown concentrically disposed with respect to shaft n and secured to the main casing adapted to receive fluid or water from a suitable source. l have shown a conduit d providing communication for water from casing H to housing By preference a filter e is provided in conduit d to filter water flowing into housing or chamber j. The shaft n is shown provided with a duct in the form of bore m in said shaft n communicating with chamber 7 and with the space 0 between the solid web of water wheel P and transverse -wall g2 of gate g. rThe gateg is provided with any desired number of apertures r providing communication between chamber it and space 0. A valve Z controls the flow of water from chamber fthrough duct fm, which valve is controlled in accordance with the speed of rotation of the water wheel P, for which purpose I have shown a governor having counter-weights pivotally supported at y in connection with shaft n, and cooperative with a projection or disk s on t-he stem Z of valve Z. By preference rollers m2 on said counterweights co-operate with the projection s, and valve Z is normally pressed from its seat by means of a spring Za bearing against a slidable plug at the end of stem Z in an extension a from chamber f. A cap e2 on extension e opposes spring 7c and prevents the escape of water. The weights when rotating operate against said spring by centrifugal action. The weights ai are supported in chamber j by a frame c having a hollow hub c2 fitted within the duct m and secured to shaft fn. to rotate therewith. The inner end of hub 02 is shown slotted or cut away at several places c3 in a longitudinal direction providing spaced projections to permit the flow of water therebetween from said hub into the duct m of shaft a, the valve Z j the latter to rotate.

sliding between said projections. The edge portions c4 of hub 02 at the junction of said projections serves in the nature of a seat or cut-off in conjunction with valve Z.

When the turbine isto be started the valve b2 will be opened, and when the water is admitted through inlet to casing H some of such water will pass through conduit (Z into chamber f, passing thence through the bore in hub c2 past normally open valve Z, and through duct m into the space 0 filling the same. between the wall' g2 of gate g and the wheel P, such water causing air to be expelled from the space o` through aperture or apertures#1 into the chamber h, whence such air will flow through the valve b2 and conduit` b to atmosphere, some of which air will also flow through outlet y'z. Water will also flow into and lill space 7L through the apertures r and partially around the annular wall g of gate g. As soon as the air from space 0 and chamber h has been expelled by the water, an unstable equilibrium will be established between the hydrostatic pressures in the chamber 71, and space 0, the pressure in the latter space predominating. On account of the greater' hydrostatic pressure operating upon the inner surface of radial wall g2 of gate g the latter will begin to move toward the left in the drawing thereby permitting the entrance of water from casing H between distribution vanes t to the blades of rotative wheel P, causing As soon as wheel P attains its normal speed of rotation the counterweights of the centrifugal governor will tend to spread or separate from their normal position and act upon projection s of valve stem Z tending to cause the valve 'Z to close more or less toward edge portions 0* to restrict or control the flow of water through ductrm to space 0. On account of the throttling or strangulation, caused by valve Z of the passage of water through duct m, the hydrostatic pressures in the chamber h and space 0 are balanced and the gate g is detained in set position on shaft a, 4thereby to control the flow of water to wheel P for normal operation of the latter. In casel an increased load is applied upon shaft n the speed of the wheel P will tend tobe reduced and the counterweights :c will approach or move toward the axis of rotation and will permit valve Z to open to a corresponding extent, whereby an increased quantity of water may pass through duct m to space 0, thereby producing increase of pressure in said space against wall g2 of gate g causing movement of the latter away from the wheel P, thereby increasing the volumeof water passing to said wheel from casing H until, said wheel again attains its normal speed. As will be readily understood the reverse operation will occur upon increase in speed of thewheel P caused by decrease of load thereon, that is to say, if said wheel tends to speed up above its normal speed of rotation the weights m will tend to move outwardly and thereby will operate upon the projection s to cause valve Z to close toward its seat to reduce the flow of water from chamber f through duct m to space o, and gate g will tend to move toward wheel P to reduce the flow of water from casing H to th(l wheel until the normal speed of said wheel has been attained, whereupon the gate g will resume its normal position, and so on during operation of the turbine.

The supply of fluid from duct m through space o to chamber 7L maintains a Huid cushion in said chamber against wall g2 of gate g to resist sudden movement of said gate under changing load conditions, said gate thereby serving as a damper for oscil lations inherent in a controller. Such damper action is due to the movement of gate g in a fluid medium and to the fact that the quantity of fluid that Hows from space 0 through aperture or apertures fr to chamber h is not modified simultaneously with the action of the controller. The movement of gate g is gradual whereby the control of the flow of iiuid to rotary wheel P is not rapid, resulting in evenness of operation of the turbine without undue fluctuations in its operation. Water in space o will be carried around with wheel P and gate g resulting in imparting centrifugal action to said water, causing it to iiow rapidly -from said space to chamber L, thereb 7 tending to reduce the pressure in space 0 when valve Z moves toward its seat to aid in causing gate g to move toward wheel P to reduce the liow of fluid thereto from casing H.

While l have illustrated my im provemcnts in connection with a well known type of hydraulic turbine, it will be understood that my invention may be applied to turbines generally, whether having stationary distributors or movable blades. By closing valve b2 the rotation of wheel P may be stopped since fluid pressure created in chamber Zt will cause gate g to move to stop the flow of fluid to said wheel.

My improvements are simple and inexpensive to manufacture, operate expedi` tiously and readily in accordance with the load to control the flow of fluid to the rotary wheel P, and are not subject to deterioration nor liable to get out of order.

My invention is not limited to the particular details of construction set forth, as the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat,- ent is 1. A fluid turbine comprising a casing having a fluid inlet and outlet, a rotary Ulli raiser/iwlieel, a gate to control the flow of fluid to the wheel, means to directl fluid to opposite sides of the gate to control its position relative to said wheel, means controlled by said wheel to control'said fluid, and means to permit continued fluid flow from the side of' the gate remote from said wheel, said means operating to control the starting and stopping of the turbine.

2. A fluid turbine comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a rotary wheel, a gate movable relatively to said wheel to control the How of fluid thereto, a chamber for said gate, a duct to direct fluid between said wheel and gate, means pioviding communication from said duct to said chamber,

valve to control said duct, and means controlled bysaid wheel to automatically control said valve.

3. A fluid turbine comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a rotary wheel, a gate partially enclosing and rotative with said wheel and movable relatively thereto to control the flow of fluid to said wheel, a cham er for said gate, means to direct fluid to opposite sides of said gate to control its position relatively to said wheel, and means controlled by said wheel to control said fluid.

l. A fluid turbineJ having a rotary wheel and a fluid inlet and outlet, a chamber at one side of said wheel, a gate movable relatively to said wheel and operative in said chamber, means to admit fluid to' said chambei' through said gate, means to direct fluid between said gate and wheel, and means controlled by said wheel to control said fluid.

5. A fluid turbine having a rotary wheel and an inlet and outlet for fluid, a gate partially enclosing said wheel providing a space therebetween, said gate being mounted for movement parallel to the axis of said wheel and rotative therewith, means to direct fluid to said space, a chamber for said gate communicating with said space, and means controlled by said wheel to control said fluid.

6. A fluid turbine having a rotary wheel and an inlet and outlet for fluid, a chamber on one side of said wheel, a gate operative in said chamber partially enclosing said wheel, and movable relatively thereto, said gate having a radial wall between said cham` ber and wheel providing aspace between said wall and wheel, said gate being movable along the axis of said wheel, said chamber and space being in communication, a duct communicating with said space, and means controlled by said wheel to control the flow of fluid through said duct to said space.

7. A fluid turbine having a rotary wheel and an inlet and outlet for fluid, a chamber on one side of said wheel, a gate operative in said chamber, partially enclosing said wheel, and movable axially thereof, said gate having a radial wall between said cham` ber and wheel providing a space between said wall and wheel, said gate having` one or more apertures providing communication between said chamber and space, a duct coinniunicating with said space, a valve to control said duct, means to supply fluid to said duct, and a governor connected with said shaft and valve to control the latter.

8. A fluid turbine having a rotary wheel and an inlet and outlet for fluid, a chamber on one side of said wheel, a rotative gate operative in said chaiiibei' and partially enclosing said wheel, said gate having a radial wall between said chamber and wheel providing a space between said wall and wheel, said gate having one or more apertures providing communication between said chamber and space, a duct communicating with said space, a chamber for fluid communicating with said duct, a valve to control flow from said chamber to said duct, a governor connected with said shaft and valve, and a conduit providing communication between the last named chamber and said casing.

9. The combination of a casing having a fluid inlet, a rotary wheel in the casing, a shaft carrying said wheel, said casing having a chamber on one side of the wheel and a 'fluid outlet on the other side thereof, a gate slidable along said shaft and having a radial wall between said wheel and chamber providing a fluid space between said wall and wheel, means providing communication between said chamber and space, said gate having a wall encircling said wheel, said chamber having an outlet, a valve to control said outlet and means controlled by said shaft to control flow of fluid to said space.

l0. rlhe combination of a casing having a fluid inlet, a rotary wheel in the casing, ashaft carrying said wheel, said casing having` a chamber on one side of the wheel and a fluid outlet on the other side thereof, a gate slidable along said shaft, rotative therewith and having a radial wall between said wheel and chamber providing a fluid space between said wall and wheel, said gate having a wall encircling said wheel, said gate having one or more apertures coinmunicating with said chamber, said chamber having an outlet, a valve to control said outlet, said shaft having a duct communicating with said gate, a valve to control said duct, a governor connected with said shaft and valve to control flow through said duct, and means to direct fluid to said duct past said valve.

1l. The combination of a casing having a fluid inlet, a rotary wheel in the casing, a shaft rotatively carrying said wheel, said casing having a chamber on one side of the wheel and a fluid outlet on the other side thereof, a gate slidable along said shaft and having a radial wall between said wheel and chamber providing a fluid space between said wall and wheel, said gate having a wall encircling said wheel, said gate having one or more apertures communicating with said chamber, said chamber having an outlet, u Valve to control said outlet, said shaft hav `ing a duet communicating with said gate, a Valve to Control said duet, 2L governor conneeted with said Shaft and valve to control flow through said duet a chamber comimmieating with said duet, and n` conduit Connecting said chamber with said casing in receive fluid therefrom.

Signed at New York. in the county of NenT York and State of New York. this 8th day of April,v A. D. 1920.

ARISTIDES RIVANO. 

